Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez says that the vote of the Dominican Republic is already committed with Francesco Fragialli, the Frenchman who seeks a third term at the helm of the World Tourism Organization, as reported in Clave Digital, the online news service. But, interestingly, Fragialli?s strongest opposition could come from a Dominican, Victor Cabral, if Jimenez agrees to endorse his candidacy.
Cabral, when asked last week about the rumors of his opting for the secretary general post, said that he has the support of President Leonel Fernandez. President Leonel Fernandez has not openly endorsed the candidacy, though.
Cabral also has the support of Foreign Relations Minister Carlos Morales and the president of the National Hotel & Restaurant Association, Enrique Eduardo de Marchena Kaluche. Former president of the Caribbean Hotel Association, Simon Suarez also endorses Victor Cabral to become the Dominican candidate to oppose Fragialli in his bid for a third term.
Jimenez told Clave Digital that he backs Fragialli because the latter has been supportive of his plans to develop the previously environmentally protected Bahia de las Aguilas in the Pedernales area.
In an interview with journalist Fausto Adames of Clave Digital, Jimenez said that President Fernandez has not yet told him that he should support Cabral for the post and not Fragialli. He said that if he receives instructions from the President, he would back Cabral.
Simon Suarez told Clave Digital that Cabral would be a strong contender for the post of WTO secretary general. Countries like Mexico and Brazil could vote in favor of the DR. He is also optimistic that Cabral could win the Caribbean votes.
Cabral is a former minister of tourism of the Dominican Republic, who held high ranking posts for Sheraton Latin America, private Mexican hotel chains and Mexican tourism government departments. He was director of the USAID-Chemonics tourism clusters program in the Dominican Republic prior to his taking the helm of the development of the Cap Cana tourism project in the East.
Sectors in the private sector support his candidacy on the grounds that a Dominican secretary general would be good for the country?s tourism development. Jimenez, in the interview with Clave Digital, himself admitted that Victor Cabral as secretary general of the WTO would be more beneficial for the country than Fragialli.
In a written statement, De Marchena said that the Cabral candidacy would be ?a recognition to the capacity and proven tourism experience in the industry, and a sample of the leadership of the DR as the principal tourism destination in the Caribbean.?
The secretary general of the World Trade Organization will be voted in the WTO assembly in Dakar, Senegal, from 28 November to 5 December. Clave Digital explains that the countries with deciding votes in the WTO are Spain, Mexico, France, UK, the US and Canada. See http://www.clavedigital.com.do/Secciones/Portada/Articulo.asp?Id_Articulo=3005